Official 2008/2009 Canucks Thread

[Soundy]

Maybe you weren't paying attention a while back: when you have to travel/fly once in a while for pleasure, it can be fun. Lots of people have to travel constantly for work, not just hockey players, and at some point it just becomes a chore. It's not something you "get used to" as much as it is something you "learn to tolerate". It's no different for players of any sport.

[Expresso]

Originally Posted by Soundy

Maybe you weren't paying attention a while back: when you have to travel/fly once in a while for pleasure, it can be fun. Lots of people have to travel constantly for work, not just hockey players, and at some point it just becomes a chore. It's not something you "get used to" as much as it is something you "learn to tolerate". It's no different for players of any sport.

Pretty much how i feel about traveling too. I think the part that bugs me to most is I can't sleep on planes. I can't imagine how would a player feel like if he had the same problem!

[Jackwimmer]

i think a long haul flight on like an airbus goes at about 900kms an hour i believe..

[AzNightmare]

so... anyway...
umm.. 4 more days until Sundin's decision?

[willystyle]

^ yes 4 more sleepless nights..

[murd0c]

Just watch after all this hes going to decide to play in the KHL

[TreyDoja]

Originally Posted by Soundy

It's fun if you do it rarely to occasionally... it's a chore if you have to do it on a regular basis. Don't forget that even a measly one-hour flight from Vancouver to Calgary can easily eat up four to five hours of your day: fight traffic to the airport (making sure to arrive the recommended hour before your boarding time for domestic flights, two+ hours for international), find parking, haul all your shit to check-in, stand in line at check-in, fill out the little baggage tags (carpal tunnels!), stand in line again at security, pull your pants back up as the security dweeb is taking off his gloves, make your way to the farthest possible gate, try to get comfortable in the crappy plastic seats, attempt to relax for a half-hour or more before your boarding call, stand in line again to flash your boarding pass, fight your way through the plane to your seat, try to cram your shit in the overhead bins, sit still for another half-hour while the plane is loading and then taxiing, try to get a brief nap in for the hour you're in the air while someone's kid is kicking the back of your seat, try to stay relaxed as your plane seems to be descending toward the runway awfully fast, fight your way again through the crowds inching their way off the plane, make your way FROM the farthest possible gate to the baggage claim, wait around for another half hour for your shit to appear on the carousel, make your way to the car rental desk or the taxi stand...

Now imagine you have to do all this, then go skate around with other 240-pound guys crashing into you for three solid hours, then do it all over again... okay, sure, they have it a LITTLE easier, because they don't have to deal with the traffic and parking and crowds so much... but it can still get REALLY F'N TIRING when you're doing it on a regular basis.

Oh, and a three-hour time difference can really mess with your body, especially if you're going east-to-west, because a 7-10pm game suddenly feels like 10pm-1am.

As Vancouver is a Western team, our games are the latest that there is. Should Vancouver be playing in the East and say a game starts at 7pm(which it normally does), that means it's still on 4pm here. So, in reality, it would feel as though it's a 4pm game when they are out East. When they get back, their bodies should be fully acquainted with the time.

And Jetlag isn't a constant thing for everyone, not everyone feels this effect. I, for one, have flown to Europe before, and Southeast Asia on many occasions. Not once have I ever felt the effects of Jetlag. Getting acquainted with time is quite easy.

And if someone's job entails having to travel quite a bit, I'm quite positive that they will be quite mentally prepared for this type of 'exhaustion'. I've had to travel to Ottawa, and Edmonton on different occasions and it's really not that exhausting at all.

Do you really think that they don't know how much time is needed in order to board a flight? After travelling enough times, I know that you don't have to actually check in until 45 mins before flight happens as doors to the plane don't open until 30mins before take-off. I'm positive that everything is streamlined so that players don't have to carry a suitcases upon suitcases of clothing, and they don't have to wait around the merry-go-round of suitcases for their belongings.

Honestly, it's a part of their job description to be travelling for games and after doing it for years, i'm pretty sure most will take it in as nothing. Really, the only problems that may come up is the stress level of travelling to 3 different cities in 4 days, having to catch planes after games, etc., but even then they should be quite used to it.

[Selanne_200]

I think KHL might not be a bad place for sundin, him being from sweden and all.

[Hondaracer]

if your getting paied 10 mill a season you have no right to complain about travel, fuck

hell even getting paied league minimum you have no right to complain that a flight is one hour shorter or longer here or there.

[iwantaskyline]

Originally Posted by TreyDoja

As Vancouver is a Western team, our games are the latest that there is. Should Vancouver be playing in the East and say a game starts at 7pm(which it normally does), that means it's still on 4pm here. So, in reality, it would feel as though it's a 4pm game when they are out East. When they get back, their bodies should be fully acquainted with the time.

And Jetlag isn't a constant thing for everyone, not everyone feels this effect. I, for one, have flown to Europe before, and Southeast Asia on many occasions. Not once have I ever felt the effects of Jetlag. Getting acquainted with time is quite easy.

And if someone's job entails having to travel quite a bit, I'm quite positive that they will be quite mentally prepared for this type of 'exhaustion'. I've had to travel to Ottawa, and Edmonton on different occasions and it's really not that exhausting at all.

Do you really think that they don't know how much time is needed in order to board a flight? After travelling enough times, I know that you don't have to actually check in until 45 mins before flight happens as doors to the plane don't open until 30mins before take-off. I'm positive that everything is streamlined so that players don't have to carry a suitcases upon suitcases of clothing, and they don't have to wait around the merry-go-round of suitcases for their belongings.

Honestly, it's a part of their job description to be travelling for games and after doing it for years, i'm pretty sure most will take it in as nothing. Really, the only problems that may come up is the stress level of travelling to 3 different cities in 4 days, having to catch planes after games, etc., but even then they should be quite used to it.

Not everyone is like that. Jeff O'Neal player who use to play on Toronto was shit scared of flying one of the reasons why he retired. It's not only the process of flying that tires you out either its the checking out, checking in, boarding the flight after a LONG game, traveling to your hotel and most of their flights are only 3 hours/4 hours not enough time for a nap, not to mention some people cannot sleep on a plane. I can't even sleep on a plane that im on for 14 hours to Hong Kong in business class.

[6thGear.]

ok. first off...i've never seen a canuck board a plane with nothing more than a laptop bag. if they have time to answer a few questions on camera, im sure they aren't rushing much. some guys did hit the traveling thing head on with the traffic, rental/cab, so forth. but thats when most of us is traveling at peak times. most major sports teams leave when its not at peak hours, so all that traffic, they don't have to worry much. the only time they need to worry what us regular folks go through, is when they aren't boarding the plane with the team or if they just got traded. their gear is always checked in by the equipment staff and it won't surprise me if they check their baggage in as well. now as for packing the suitcase....well, thats what their wives are for!!!

[Hondaracer]

^ exactly, its not like the Canucks are having to wait to board their planes, or sit in huge lines to check baggage, guaranteed by the time they arrive at the airport the time till they take off is under an hour every single time.

[trdees]

on aug 1'st sundin is just making his decision on if hes going to return to NHL or not, correct? So we won't know when he's an official canuck until a couple days or weeks?

[AzNightmare]

^ yup, at least that's what the news last week said.
on August 1st, he will make a decision whether he's retiring or not.
And I highly doubt he's retiring pro hockey. But retiring in NHL, possibly...

And if he isn't retiring, I doubt he's going to do a double announcement on the same day.

[RRxtar]

the games usualy end around 10pm, i imagine after the post game workout/cooldown, locker room talk, they dont get out of the arena till 11:30. most teams will fly after the game to the next city so you probably arent getting into your next hotel untill what, 3? 4am? 6 hours later you better be at the rink all ready to go for the morning skate and workout!

[Ch28]

Originally Posted by RRxtar

the games usualy end around 10pm, i imagine after the post game workout/cooldown, locker room talk, they dont get out of the arena till 11:30. most teams will fly after the game to the next city so you probably arent getting into your next hotel untill what, 3? 4am? 6 hours later you better be at the rink all ready to go for the morning skate and workout!

Just some of the sacrifices you have to make when you're making THAT MUCH MONEY!

[6thGear.]

in a sportsnet interview, stamkos said that the canucks are getting a very good player out of hodgson. they are actually pretty good friends.

[6thGear.]

Originally Posted by Ch28

Just some of the sacrifices you have to make when you're making THAT MUCH MONEY!

and then they get the rest of the day off. unless they had a poor game the night before , doesn't morning practice usually get skipped if it was a back to back game?

[iPee]

3-4 hours is plenty enough time for me to sleep
and on a plane with that much room even easier

weird i sleep everyday on the bus on my way to school and back home and its only a 30 min ride same thing going to work

[Hondaracer]

Originally Posted by 6thGear.

and then they get the rest of the day off. unless they had a poor game the night before , doesn't morning practice usually get skipped if it was a back to back game?

yea

10char

[AzNightmare]

Damn Sundin. Canucks news is so boring that we have spent the last 2-3 pages shoving opinions at each other.

Unless you guys have actually played hockey as a pro athelete flying around north america on a regular basis, I don't think any of us are entitled to know how travelling would feel like for an athelete. Besides, it differs from each player anyway. It can become tiring, some can argue they get used to it, some make it sound like it's a big hassle, for all we know, players don't have to go through all the problems normal people would have to go thorugh, (it is private plane afterall), it differs among every player. Some players get fatigued a lot by travel, others can adapt and aren't bothered by it. Some can sleep on a plane like a baby, some can't sleep on planes at all, etc.

[6thGear.]

hockey players have been travelling their whole lives, from junior B's to the nhl. airplanes are heaven sent compared to the bus's they used to travel on when they were younger. 3-4 hours on cramped bus vs. 3-4 hours on a comfy plane. you don't need to be a professional athlete to now which one is more tiring and which one is more comfortable.

[Hi_Im_Mike]

The only time last season I thought was fucked up was that big road trip we had were we played in chicago at 12PM EST...And we lost badly!!!

[6thGear.]

oh man!! i remember that game.. your right it was so fucked !!

[Hi_Im_Mike]

nvm it was at 3PM EST which was 12PM PST...That was so gay lol...Wd lost 4-1 but I remembered it being worse...
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=p...008&gameType=2